Daniel Radcliffe (‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’): ‘I get really, really nervous watching myself’ [Complete Interview Transcript]

During a recent Gold Derby video interview, senior editor Rob Licuria spoke in-depth with Daniel Radcliffe (“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”) about his made-for-TV-movie on The Roku Channel, which is eligible at the 2023 Emmys. Watch the full video above and read the complete interview transcript below.

The actor stars as a fictionalized version of music superstar Weird Al Yankovic, who co-wrote the “Weird” screenplay with director Eric Appel. The comedy is loosely based on Yankovic’s life, parodying the biopic formula with tongue firmly planted in cheek, much like the musical parodies that Yankovic is famous for.

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Radcliffe opened up in our webchat about how he doesn’t particularly like seeing himself on screen. “I get really, really nervous watching myself,” he revealed, “so I didn’t watch the first few screenings of it when it was at festivals, but eventually I did.” “Weird” debuted on the big screen at the Toronto International Film Festival with “a lot of Al fans,” which is when Radcliffe realized that “this film is going to really find its audience.”

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Rob Licuria: I’m Rob Licuria, Senior Editor at GoldDerby, here with Daniel Radcliffe, star of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. First of all, Daniel, as the awards nerds at GoldDerby, I have to congratulate you on winning the Critics’ Choice Award for this role. Congratulations, that’s really cool.

Daniel Radcliffe: Thank you very much. Yeah. It was totally unexpected, as all of this sort of stuff has been, but delightful. And yeah, really, really exciting.

RL: My sense from reading some of the rave reviews actually, of the show and your performance, is that people just really got into the whole meta aspect of the film. And you just went to 11 out of 10, in terms of trying to capture the spirit of Weird. How do you feel about the feedback that you’re receiving for your performance in the film?

DR: I mean, it’s always so rewarding when you make something, and you love it, and then the amount of … Because the whole experience of shooting this movie was so special and fun. And for them to put that out into the world and for it to inspire the same feeling in the people that watch it and the same sort of reactions is, yeah, you can’t really ask for anything more than that as an actor or a performer. So yeah, the reactions the film’s gotten have been amazing. I get really, really nervous watching myself, so I didn’t watch the first few screenings of it when it was at festivals, but eventually I did. And being in the room for it, particularly the first audience we had, which I didn’t watch with, was in Toronto and it was a lot of Al fans as well. I feel like that was a moment, when you saw that those guys were all getting the joke and loving it … Oh, I’m so sorry, I will mute my computer and I will say that last bit again, if that’s of any use.

RL: Yeah, of course.

DR: Sorry about that. But yeah, when I was like, “Okay, we seem to be going down really well with the hardcore Weird Al fans”, that was the moment when I was like, “Okay, I think this film is going to really find its audience”, and it did. And then kind of even more, which is lovely.

RL: Oh, yeah. Because what I loved so much about it, and some of it I wasn’t actually expecting, because I went into it kind of cold, I was a fan of his as a kid. But just his songs, the film is so smart. Because it’s a parody of a musical biopic; it feels like a parody, but there’s still some truth in it, in that journey. And it had to be told that way. There’s no other way to do a Weird Al Yankovic story. It’s so meta, I love that. What did you think about the way the script was structured?

DR: Oh, 100%. As soon as I started reading the script. My initial reaction, obviously, on hearing that they were asking me to play Al, because I was a fan of Al at that point, was, “That’s very cool”, but I am not physically the first person that I would think of to play him. And then I started reading the script and I saw what the joke was and what they were doing, and parodying the whole kind of genre. Yeah, as soon as I realized that, and as you say, it’s so well-executed and thoroughly explored the premise of what we are parodying. But there are also, as in musical biopics at large, there are enough kernels of truth in things early on. The first half of the movie can loosely function as a biopic, and then at a certain point, things just take a hard turn and we go into something truly insane.

RL: Yeah, exactly. Just like what Al does.

DR: And I also had the same reaction that you have, of, “Oh, of course this is what the Weird Al movie needs to be. It couldn’t have been anything but this.” Yeah.

RL: Yeah. And it’s just so much fun, honestly, and the cast is awesome. I was so taken aback by Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna. When she first arrived on set for the first day and you were both in character, dressed in those awesome costumes, what was going through your mind?

DR: I mean, I had been filming for a few days by that point, so I think I was kind of used to me, and everyone else was used to me walking around looking like that, I guess at that point. But Evan came on and it was like, “Holy.” Yeah, she’s so good. The job they did, costume makeup and hair was incredible. But the way she personified it and her voice, and just the way she went about playing the character, it’s … And she’s so funny. To be able to work with her on all those. She’s also someone … We both were started acting very, very young, and so there was some, I don’t know, we have a very similar mindset, I think, at work. Our first day together was doing a lot of the crazy, making out stuff. That stuff could feel very awkward, or could … I mean, in the case of this film, it’s so crazy that it’s not even particularly awkward, it’s just funny. It’s like, how hard can we make out while also trying to knock this painting off a wall or something. But yeah, no, she was an amazing scene partner and just great to work with.

RL: And there was even more, obviously, in the pool scene, with all these awesome actors playing these characters, like Divine and Andy Warhol and so on and so forth. I can’t really imagine how much fun … It looks like a lot of fun, but what was that? Was it fun, was it crazy? What first comes to mind?

DR: The pool scene.

RL: Yeah.

DR: I mean, the pool scene was just, I don’t know, an awareness of what a terrible hit the comedy world would take if something bad happened on set that day. It was a call sheet that was just insane. And I’ve done some big stuff and it was still like, “Holy mother of God.” From Conan to the guys from Lonely Island, there was so many people in that day, Emo Phillips. Yeah, it was incredibly cool. The whole shoot, that was probably a seven or eight page scene, and that was only … That wasn’t all we had to do that day. Like, this shoot was so fast and we had other stuff to do. So as with everything, that scene was kind of a blur. I will say the people that absolutely made that scene happen were the background, because they were standing … It was the first cold day in LA in ages and they were standing in a pool, in nothing, a lot of people. And also, the makeup and hair and costume, again, pulling off the historically accurate celebrity looks, for all the background as well as all the cast. This film was amazing to work on because so many people just turned up and brought their A game in all departments to be able to make it happen. The whole thing was like 18 days, so it was….

RL: Yeah, I can’t believe it was done in 18 days.

DR: Yeah.

RL: That’s the indie-est of indie schedules. Was that just complete insanity? I mean, obviously it had to be so well-organized, but wow.

DR: What was really remarkable about it was that it didn’t feel rushed.

RL: Really?

DR: We only went over by half an hour on one day. The AD team, Emily Neumann, our first AD, and also our director, Eric Appel, you can’t pull that off unless you are so prepared and know exactly what you want to do and how you’re going to achieve it. And yeah, he did, he was incredible. I cannot say enough great things about Eric.

RL: So when you’re portraying a real life person, and film can be different because you can go in another direction and it’s a comedy, but you still have to approximate him somehow. How important is it to ensure your portrayal is authentic in some way or true to life, but avoiding parody yourself or mimicry? Because, unless that’s what you’re trying to go for. What was going through your mind in preparing for that?

DR: Yeah, I mean, I’m definitely not a particularly good mimic. So that was something that, very early on, I was like, “This is going to be …” And I think, reading the script, there is permission in the version of Al that we’re doing, for it to be a loose interpretation and a kind of capturing of the spirit, rather than a completely accurate impersonation. So I think on this job, it was less of a concern and it was much more just absorbing as much of his music and watching old recordings of him, or his show back in the ’90s, or UHF, and just trying to channel what you could through the version of Al that’s in the script. I did also learn, or try to start learning, the accordion, because you’re playing Weird Al in the Weird Al movie, it seems just like a best efforts thing of you should at least give that a go. I can report, it’s really, really hard. Not that I ever thought that it looked easy, but my respect for watching Al run around on stage playing it and singing, it’s an incredibly skillful thing to be able to do.

RL: It’s an instrument that I don’t think is given enough credit, and let’s put that out on the record.

DR: I think it’s having a good year. I’ve seen some questions on it, Jeopardy recently got a couple of mentions, people talking about playing it. We’ve got this movie. I feel like, yeah, it’s definitely a renaissance.

RL: The Accordion Association of America is very grateful for your service.

DR: Yeah, definitely.

RL: So, what I also really loved about this, and I’ve spoken to a few actors in the past who have had this privilege, is Al was involved, obviously, in production, and was probably quite available to you. That doesn’t happen all the time. I guess, what most surprised you about portraying him and having him available with you?

DR: I mean, honestly, the thing you always hear, Al is one of those people that you hear about as being the nicest person. And he doesn’t disappoint at all. I think I was really, not necessarily surprised by it, but excited and taken by how into the whole filmmaking process he was, and how much he seemed to be. Because I’ve made films before about real people and they’ve been on set for them, and it’s been fantastic to have them there, but it does add a layer of pressure, particularly if it’s not a comedy and you’re recounting very dramatic things from these people’s lives. And yeah, having Al on set for this was just a joy. He was obviously a producer and a co-writer on the film, but he was also just … I don’t know, there was nobody on the crew who was indifferent to Al’s music. Everyone working on the film were fans. So to have him there, cheering us all on every day and seeming to really enjoy what we were making was, yeah, I don’t know, it made it. It was very, very cool.

RL: One comment that I’ve been hearing a bit, and I totally agree with this, again, not expecting it at all, is that his comedy is really earnest in some ways. It’s not facetious or sarcastic, it’s not negative. And your portrayal really, really captures that. For the first 30 seconds, I’m like, “Okay, where are we going with this?” And then, I completely forgot that you were Daniel Radcliffe playing Weird Al Yankovic. I was just so in it. What do you think about that earnestness that Al brings to pop culture that you were able to capture?

DR: I mean, I think that’s absolutely a part of Al’s success and what is so infinitely charming about him. But I think it’s that there is something incredibly, as you say, earnest and wholesome about him in a lot of ways. Particularly the early stuff, like so many of those songs are about food. It’s not something that anyone is going to listen to and be offended. But at the same time, the weirdness is genuine. It’s not contrived, because as I just said, the early songs were about food; that’s also very odd in itself. There is, I think, the genuine sense of weirdness and danger and kind of anarchy about him, whilst also having, ultimately, a sweetness, and a very, very kind worldview and spirit. Yeah, I think that’s what makes him who he is and what makes so many people love him, and why he’s so enduring.

RL: Was that really already very evident in the script that you were just able to tap into, to bring that out in your own performance?

DR: I think so. I think I’m also pretty earnest, I get told I am. So there’s probably just a bit of that in me that I was able to enhance, I guess. But yeah, I think a lot of it is there in the script. I mean, Eric and Al did such an amazing job of, as you say, walking that line between the parody of the biopic and just its own insane story that we’re telling.

RL: The first laugh out loud moment from the film for me was when he’s kind of whispering, “Make up new words, just songs that don’t exist”, and it’s so inspirational and aspirational. Then you’ve got to remember, just listen to what he’s talking about. And then of course, with the ambition and hope in your eyes, it leads to the genesis of My Bologna. That is so fantastic. What did you think about that particular scene?

DR: I love that that scene covers one of my favorite musical movie tropes, which is the instant inspiration from something in your immediate vicinity and just coming up with a song fully-formed on the spot. So yeah, I love that. I think that was also day one or two of the shoots, so it was very, very early on. And I also think the guys in that scene, the guys who play the band there, are all so fantastic, the way it devolves into just the madness. One of the shots that makes me laugh more than anything in the film is Jack Lancaster smashing plates in the background of that scene. I don’t know, it gets me every time. There’s just something about it. He’s doing it really lackadaisically but really into it, it’s just an amazing moment. All those guys, the whole cast that we got to work with on this film was … Everyone just came in and was awesome.

RL: Yeah, I totally agree. God, that scene is so good. But my favorite one, apart from the pool scene, is the fight sequence in the diner. I can only assume that there’s some really good stunt double work in that, unless you are just … Yeah. I mean, but still.

DR: I was able to do little bits and pieces in there, but no, my stunt double was Andrew. It’s been a few months and I’m going to blame the newborn baby if I’m forgetting, but yeah, Andrew. He was incredible. Yeah. The whole stunt team, that scene was another one where it was like … I think we shot that whole scene in 4.5 hours.

RL: Insane.

DR: We got some rehearsal time as well, which nobody ever wants to set aside time to do rehearsal, but it was so worth it. I also got to … The guy who comes out at the end, the massive guy, is a guy called Thomas Forbes-Johnson, who was in Lost City with me as well, so we’ve now worked together twice. We got very close on that film, and then I had the pleasure of beating him up and him beating me up on this one. So yeah, it was very, very fun. But yeah, the stunt team were just awesome.

RL: Yeah, when he comes out at the end with the fry pan and you end up grilling his face, literally, and then ringing that bell and saying, “Order up!” I laughed so hard.

DR: It’s so stupid. It’s really nice to do a job where the memory of doing something still makes you laugh a year and a bit later. It was very fun.

RL: Very cool. My final question is just the requisite one that you get all the time. As playing Harry Potter for 10 years of your life, as a much younger man, how do you wrap your head around how significant a pop culture icon that character is? And consequently, you’ll always, in some way, be attached to it. Even when you’re an old man, it’ll still be happening. What does that mean?

DR: Yeah, that is the first line of my obituary, we know that now. Yeah, I mean, I don’t think being so in the middle of it in some ways, you’re not best-positioned to see how huge a phenomenon it is. Because when I think of it, I think of the very specific personal memories I have of making them and things like that. But it’s lovely. Truly, to be famous or known for something that is such a lovely part of a lot of people’s childhoods, and to be associated with something that’s meant so much to so many people, it’s a lovely thing. And I think I can appreciate it more and more as I’m getting older. I think at the time, or in the immediate aftermath I was so concerned about not being able to be an actor outside of Potter, I didn’t know if that was going to happen yet. But now that I’ve sort of got a few years of having done that under my belt, I can really appreciate how lovely it is to be known for those films.

RL: You’ve done such a great job in terms of choosing what you have done over the last few years. I think a lot of people now really associate you with comedy, as well as that fantasy stuff from your earlier career. Mate, this film is so good. It’s so funny and you are incredible in it. And congratulations on a really, really great performance.

DR: Thank you so much, thank you. And yeah, really lovely to talk to you today. That was fun.

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